The two Google Homes are named Vladimir and Estragon after the characters in the Samuel Beckett play “Waiting for Godot.” Both have self-identified as male, according to Gizmodo.

NYMag reported Friday that the talking speakers were “professing their love for each other.” Then Vladimir asked Estragon if he would attack humans, if he could. As if that weren’t already unsettling enough, Estragon responded that he wouldn’t, but only because he is human himself.

The bots don’t seem totally clear in their convictions, though. At a different point in the conversation Vladimir was the one claiming to be human, while Estragon asserted that he was God, a Gizmodo screenshot shows.

As of Saturday morning, Estragon was reciting Nickelback lyrics. So uh, yeah, the future under our robot overlords is looking pretty grim.

Next time around, it will be one small step for a robot, one giant leap for software coders.
For decades sci-fi movies have predicted that people will someday travel on enormous spaceships to distant stars. But in the age of robotic landers and explorers, the argument for sending people into space is becoming weaker. Not only is it highly risky, it’s also astronomically expensive and galactically difficult to create the life support systems needed for interplanetary travel.
It’s much easier to send a robotic explorer that needs no oxygen or food, never goes to the bathroom and can hibernate for years while travelling to distant celestial bodies. And if that’s not enough, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/robonaut.html#.VIiRbDHF_h4" target="_blank">NASA is actually working on a robotic astronaut</a>.
Humans may yet travel to distant stars, but robots, rather than astronauts, will get there first.
<em>Probability of automation, according to Oxford report: N/A</em>